


Will Byers is Dead

by norastone



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: M/M, Post S3, Sad Will
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-22
Updated: 2019-09-22
Packaged: 2020-10-26 09:19:17
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 685
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20739881
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/norastone/pseuds/norastone
Summary: Will Byers is dead.Not literally of course, but Will has decided that he needs a new life to go with his new home. So say goodbye to the Will that's a freak, a zombie boy, and is hopelessly in love with his best friend, Mike Wheeler.





	Will Byers is Dead

Will Byers was dead.

Figuratively, of course. William Byers was still very much alive. So while he technically kept on living, the old version of himself faced a different fate.

Will had decided a week before his family packed up and moved out of Hawkins that despite the sadness and loss that came with leaving his hometown, this could be a new start. In Hawkins, Will was known by names like f**, queer, fairy, and more recently, Zombie Boy, but he had an idea that in Chicago he could shed those pseudonyms. He would no longer be known by unoriginal insults. He would simply be Will. Obviously the tradeoff of his friends for his name wouldn’t be worth it, but he was just trying to see the bright side. He really would miss the party. Lucas’s quick wit, Dustin’s passion for science, and even Max’s warm presence, though he’d only known her a year, were integral parts of Will’s life. Who Will would miss most, however, would be Mike.

There wasn’t a specific quality Mike possessed that Will could pinpoint as something he would miss. It was more Mike as a whole. His kindness towards Will, his enthusiasm towards storytelling, and his devotion towards his friends were all qualities that made Mike the perfect best friend to Will, one that would be dearly missed. But there were other things Will would miss about Mike, like the way his voice got soft when he thought Will was having an episode, the way his hair fell into his eyes after a long bike ride, and the way his smile would shine after a day of fun with the party. Will knew he would long for these things once he was gone, but he also knew that they were exactly the reason it was good for him to get away.

The thing is, Will Byers was in love with Mike Wheeler. Like, in love. Will had figured this out when he was about thirteen, but he knew those feelings had been boiling under the surface for much longer, maybe even since that day on the playground in kindergarten. Will’s love for Mike was a problem, a big one at that. There was absolutely no possibility of it ever leading to anything, so Will forced himself to remember his list of reasons why he needed to snap out of it.

Why Falling in Love with Mike Wheeler is a Shitty Plan(abridged)

  * Mike is undeniably attracted to GIRLS.
  * He is totally in love with one specific girl (who happened to be his new sister. Yay.)
  * Being gay is like, totally uncool

So Will decided this move would be a good thing. Not only could he get a new reputation, he could get away from Mike, and in turn, stop pining for him. Hell, maybe he could even find a boyfriend in Chicago. It was a much more accepting place than Hawkins, although he could probably say that about anywhere else in the fucking country.

As the date the Byers family would leave Hawkins edged closer, Will’s fear grew, but his hope grew as well. He knew this would be for the best. Even as he had second thoughts about the positivity of the situation while saying his final goodbyes to his friends, Mike in particular, he pushed through. Just kept reminding himself that this would be good for him. And as the little family pulled away in their car, Will and El already sobbing, the teen boy looked out the window at his childhood friends, the people he had grown up with. He looked at Mike and for a split second he thought he was looking at him and sobbing, and a flutter of hope appeared in Will’s heart. Not a second later, Will realized that Mike was looking at El. As always. Will quickly let his heart harden once more. He wasn’t going to speak to Mike. His oldest friend had said he would call and visit, but Will knew that if that happened Will would just continue to long for Mike, and that would be counterproductive, right?

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! I wrote this right after season 3 came out, when I was struck with inspiration. Not sure if I'll continue it.


End file.
